News Oilers Team Notes

[Edmonton Oilers]

The Oilers have one advantage in their first-round series against the Kings

They say only the greatest movies get a fourth installment.

Or something like that.

For the fourth straight year, the Edmonton Oilers are heading to Hollywood for a playoff showdown against the Los Angeles Kings.

Sound familiar? Yeah, fans on both sides might agree it’s getting a little repetitive. Kings fans are probably tired of coming up short. And honestly, who could blame them?

League commissioner Gary Bettman might love this familiar matchup, but no matter how you feel about the playoff format, one thing’s clear: This year’s Kings team is looking better than ever.

In fact, for the first time in recent memory, LA finished ahead of Edmonton in the Pacific Division standings. They’ve had a strong regular season, and lots of folks think these Kings have a real shot at finally beating the Oilers.

Over the next few days, I’ll dive into every aspect of this exciting series to see who holds the advantage in key areas. Today, let’s kick things off by looking at offence, which is the one area where the Oilers should clearly have the edge.

In the last three regular seasons, the Kings haven’t once outscored the Oilers. This year is no different. Heading into Wednesday night, Edmonton had scored 13 more goals than LA. That’s not a huge margin, but still significant.

Here’s the thing: Star power has always been the big separator between these two teams.

Sure, the Kings have some amazing talent, including future Hall of Famers Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. But when it comes to game-breaking superstars who can dominate on a nightly basis? There are two in this series—and they both wear orange and blue.

Come playoff time, the Oilers usually tighten things up and play a more structured game. They don’t rely on trading high-risk chances. Instead, they grind opponents down with sustained pressure. Yet even with that disciplined style, offensive explosions have been common against LA.

In their last 18 playoff meetings, the Oilers scored five or more goals seven times. That’s a huge number. And here’s what’s interesting: In four of those seven games, they didn’t even need all five goals. There were some blowouts, and mostly, the Oilers were on the winning end.

But let’s focus on right now.

This year’s Oilers group may have had its ups and downs (largely due to injuries), but when they’re healthy, their forward depth is unmatched. Imagine a lineup featuring McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Henrique down the middle. Kris Knoblauch has that luxury.

The Kings, meanwhile, have solid depth too. Seven of their forwards scored at least 15 goals this season. But the Oilers? They had nine forwards reach double-digit goals, with seven scoring more than 15. Simply put, Edmonton has a deeper, more balanced offensive attack.

Looking beyond pure goals, the Oilers also generate more quality scoring chances. At 5v5, Edmonton’s 2.87 expected goals per 60 minutes ranks second in the NHL. LA is good too (ranked ninth) but they’ve cooled off recently. Over the last 25 games, the Oilers stayed strong (sixth-best in the league), while the Kings slipped down to 17th.

And remember, Edmonton achieved that without a fully healthy lineup. This tells me their supporting cast is gaining momentum and confidence at just the right time. That could be huge.

Overall, the Kings have definitely improved their offence compared to past seasons. They’re no longer just a defensive-minded team hoping for low-scoring, tight-checking victories.

But when it comes to pure offensive firepower, the Oilers still have the clear advantage. Their stars can take over at any moment, and their depth scoring is catching fire at the perfect time.

Expect Edmonton’s offence to give them the edge once again as this playoff rivalry heats up.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/the-o...in-their-first-round-series-against-the-kings

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers’ Connor McDavid becomes fourth player in NHL history to record eight 100-point seasons joining Dionne, Lemieux, Gretzky

It’s milestone night for the Oilers in their final regular season game of the season, as Connor McDavid hit the 100-point mark for the fifth-straight season, and eighth in his 10 year career.

McDavid hit 100 early into the Oilers’ Wednesday night game against the San Jose Sharks on the Oilers’ first shot of the night. Out on a line with Jeff Skinner and Connor Brown, the trio cycled the puck in the offensive zone, before the Oilers captain sent it to the point to Ty Emberson, whose long shot found the back of the net 8:20 into the game.

Ty Emberson is heating up at the right time!

Oh, and Connor McDavid recorded his 100th point of the season.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/5z0QA4wM1L

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 17, 2025

With the milestone, McDavid becomes just the fourth player in NHL history to score over 100 points in a season, joining the likes of Marcel Dionne (eight times), Mario Lemieux (10) and Wayne Gretzky (15).

He also became the 13th player in NHL history with at least five consecutive 100-point seasons, and the first since Steve Yzerman hit six in 1992-93.

What makes hitting 100 even moreso impressive for McDavid is that he missed 15 games this year due to injury and suspension. Eight of those came between March 22nd and April 7th, with the Oilers captain returning for three games against the St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets, where he racked up a staggering nine points — all assists — to thrust him closer to 100.

He sat out of Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, but drew in for Wednesday nights against the Sharks.

The only two seasons in which McDavid didn’t hit the century mark was his rookie campaign, shortened to just 45 games due to a broken collarbone, still scoring 48 points, and the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season which ended with him scoring 97 points in 64 games played.

It’s been a decade of dominance for McDavid. He’s already won five Art Ross trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, three Hart Trophies, while winning the Rocket Richard Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy once each.

None of those, nor does another 100-point season mean as much as a Stanley Cup win would for the Oilers captain.

The team will begin their hunt for Lord Stanley’s mug within the next number of days opening the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-fourth-player-100-point-seasons

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

What would the Oilers’ path to the Stanley Cup Finals look like?

The schedule is set and the matchups are in place for the first round of the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and for the first time, we get an official glimpse at what the Edmonton Oilers are up against if they hope to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season.

We all know the Oilers’ path last year, beating the Los Angeles Kings in five games in the first round, the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the second round, the Dallas Stars in six games in the Western Conference finals before losing in 7 to the Florida Panthers in the finals.

In the Western Conference, the first team the Oilers would need to be concerned with are the Kings, whom they meet in the first round for the fourth consecutive season. Then, it’s the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild. Vegas earned top spot in the Pacific Division, while the Wild slid into the first Wild Card spot.

The other side of the bracket in the West will see the Winnipeg Jets face host the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. The winner of those series will meet in Round 2, while the winner there would — if the Oilers can down the Kings and one of the Golden Knights or Wild — in the Western Conference finals.

It’s certainly not an easy path forward for the Oilers.

Edmonton and Vegas have met seven times in the last two regular seasons with the Oilers going 4-3, outscoring the Golden Knights 21-18 in what have been some tight games. The Oilers have snagged 5-1, 6-3, 3-2 and 5-4 (SO) wins, while Vegas won their three 1-0, 4-2 and 3-1. Only three of these seven games have been one-goal games and this season, Edmonton went 2-1.

When it comes to the Wild, things have been even tighter in the six games they’ve played over the last two years, with the teams splitting the series 3-3 and Edmonton outscoring Minnesota 25-23. The Oilers, however, have had some big wins with 7-1, 5-3 and 4-3 wins, while Minnesota feels similar, with 5-3, 4-2 and 7-4 wins. Talk about some high scoring games. This season, Edmonton went 2-1 against Minnesota.

Briefly looking at the other teams in the West, here’s how the Oilers fared against them over the last two regular seasons, and this season:

• Winnipeg: 6GP: 3-1-2, 16 GF – 18 GA || 3 GP: 1-1-1, 7 GF, 11 GA.
• St. Louis: 6 GP: 4-1-1, 19 GF, 18 GA || 3 GP, 3-0, 11 GF, 7 GA.
• Dallas: 6 GP: 2-4, 16 GF, 24 GA || 3 GP, 1-2, 9 GF, 12 GA.
• Colorado: 6 GP, 3-2-1, 21 GF, 19 GA || 3 GP, 2-1, 12 GF, 9 GA.

It’s a mixed bag in here to say the least against these teams, to say the least. There’s a reason they’re all playoff teams, and I can’t say I’m overly optimistic about any of these potential matchups.

At the very least, I think it’s safe to say that this year offers the Oilers one of their bigger challenges they’ve faced in terms of making a deep playoff run. The Wild and Stars enter the first round with the worst recent stretch of the Western Conference teams, with .525 and .550 point percentages over their last 20 regular season games, while the Kings, Blues, Avalanche, Golden Knights and Jets have all posted a .700 points percentage or better, while the Oilers enter with a .625.

Nonetheless, this first round in the West — and East, for that matter — might be one of the best opening rounds in quite a while.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-path-to-the-stanley-cup-finals

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl laps the field to capture first career Rocket Richard Trophy

It was only a matter of time before one of the league’s best goal scorers secured his first Rocket Richard Trophy and on Thursday night it became official: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl will take home the award after scoring 52 goals this season.

Draisaitl did it impressively this year, as the only player to hit the 50-goal mark — a season after four players did so, including teammate Zach Hyman — while not leading in either even-strength goals, or power play goals.

Leon Draisaitl led the League with 52 goals (52-54—106 in 71 GP) in 2024-25 to earn his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.#NHLStats: https://t.co/uMrfDGaSyY pic.twitter.com/ECiXiSgsrn

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 18, 2025

He, however, found just the right blend, as his 36 even-strength goals and 16 power-play markers combined for the most in the league. He fell one even-strength goal behind Tage Thompson and one power play goal behind Jake Guentzel.

Draisaitl truly ran away with the award this season, sitting seven goals up on the second-placed William Nylander, and leading the league in goals every day since Dec. 5th, sitting outright in first place since Dec. 16th. He put up 23 goals in 31 games over that stretch, before scoring 29 goals in his final 39 games of the season, averaging 0.74 goals per game over each stretch.

This season marks the first in which Draisaitl took home the hardware in his fourth 50-goal campaign. The first year he hit 50, 2018-19, he was one goal away from the league-leading Alex Ovechkin, while his 55 in 2021-22 were five behind the league-leading Auston Matthews, finishing runner up both year. In 2022-23, meanwhile, his 52 goals were fourth in the league behind Mikko Rantanen (55), David Pastrnak (61) and Connor McDavid (64).

As noted by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, this year marks the first time only one player scored 50 goals in a season since Alex Ovechkin did it in three straight between 2013-14 to 2015-16.

Draisaitl becomes the second player in Oilers history to win the Rocket Richard Trophy, following McDavid, since the award was introduced in 1998-99. Despite that, two Oilers had previously led the league in goals: Wayne Gretzky, who did it five times, his most recent in 1986-87, and Jari Kurri, who did so in 1985-86.

Prior to the Rocket Richard, Draisaitl has also won the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay award, all of which were won in 2019-20.

There’s no denying how significant of a season this was for Draisaitl as McDavid wasn’t up to his usual otherwordly antics. Draisaitl was a model of consistency for the team, not just offensively, but defensively, too, where his game has continued to grow in recent years.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-wins-first-career-rocket-richard-trophy

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilersnation Radio: Looking back on our Oilers pre-season predictions and ahead at the LA Kings

There’s nothing quite like a fresh episode of Oilersnation Radio to wrap up your Friday, get you prepped for tonight’s game, and keep you updated on all things Edmonton Oilers. This week, the fellas recapped their pre-season predictions, looked ahead at the NHL playoffs, Oilers vs. Kings, and much more.

The guys kicked off the Friday episode of ONR by looking back at our preseason predictions and laughing about how wrong we were about almost everything. From goal predictions to point predictions to lineup decisions to everything in between, it was clear that the boys were feeling bullish on the team before the season started. As you’ll hear, no one was close on pretty much anything, which made for a hilarious review.

Getting away from our prediction reviews, we looked ahead at the schedule for the first four games of the first round series against the Los Angeles Kings. We also discussed how many pundits are picking the Kings to win this series, and whether or not having the lowered expectations will help them in this series. While there’s no doubt L.A. was fantastic on home ice, maybe having people look at the Oilers as underdogs might be beneficial.

Finally, the guys wrapped up the Friday episode of the podcast with another round of betting talk, Ask the Idiots, and Hot and Cold Performers to recap the last week of our lives. Whether it was talking about Tyler getting old, the PGA’s TV tactics, or Joey Moss’ legacy, there was plenty to discuss on the Friday episode of ONR.

Listen to the Friday episode of Oilersnation Radio below:

Subscribe to Oilersnation Radio for FREE on Soundcloud here, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts from!

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oiler...lers-pre-season-predictions-los-angeles-kings

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Playoff Preview: Wild enter Pacific Division bracket with first-round series against Golden Knights

The winner between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights could face the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs.

Minnesota started this season strong but struggled down the stretch due to key injuries. They barely clinched a playoff spot, thanks to a clutch Joel Eriksson Ek goal with just 21 seconds left last Tuesday. Without that, the Calgary Flames, who finished just one point behind, could have taken their spot.

Fortunately for the Wild, they enter the playoffs fully healthy. Star forward Kirill Kaprizov missed significant time from late December through April, aside from a brief return in January. Eriksson Ek also battled injuries but returned around the same period.

When healthy, Minnesota is dangerous. Before Kaprizov’s injury, the Wild held a strong 21-10-4 record, just five points behind Winnipeg with a game in hand, even after a rough 4-6-0 stretch.

Still feeling the salary cap pinch from the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts, the Wild didn’t make major moves at the trade deadline. Their key acquisition was Gustav Nyquist, picked up for a 2026 second-round pick. They also added Justin Brazeau from Boston, sending Jakob Lauko, Marat Khusnutdinov, and a late-round draft choice in return.

Historically, playoff success has eluded Minnesota. Since joining the NHL in 2000-01, they’ve reached the second round only three times, last winning a second-round game in 2014. Although the Wild frequently qualify for the playoffs, missing just twice since 2012-13, they’ve consistently struggled to advance deeper.

Vegas, meanwhile, enjoyed another successful regular season, posting a 50-22-10 record and earning home-ice advantage for the first two playoff rounds. Surprisingly, they avoided using the LTIR loophole this year, and their only notable trade-deadline move was reacquiring original “misfit” Reilly Smith from Detroit for Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick.

This marks Vegas’ fourth Pacific Division title in eight seasons. Each time they’ve won the division, they’ve reached at least the Conference Finals, twice advancing to the Stanley Cup Final and winning their first championship in 2023.

Last season, Vegas entered as a wildcard team and lost in the first round to the Dallas Stars. After taking a 2-0 series lead, they fell in seven games, ending their bid for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.

Interestingly, the Wild and Golden Knights have playoff history. Due to pandemic realignment, they faced off during the playoffs for the shortened 2021 season, with Vegas winning in seven games.

Will the Golden Knights embark on another deep playoff run? Or can the Wild break their decade-long drought and advance to round two? Tune in Sunday night to find out!

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Other Playoff Previews…​

• This might be the best shot the Kings have of finally beating the Oilers
• Avalanche and Stars are two contenders set to duke it out in first round
• Leafs and Sens meet in first playoff Battle of Ontario since 2004
• Late-season run earns Blues a meeting with Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets
• Injury-riddled Devils meet Hurricanes in first round

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/playoff-preview-wild-golden-knights

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

WWYDW(SE): The Oilers’ Line Combinations

The reinforcements are coming for the Edmonton Oilers, but where do we put them?

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs getting underway and the Oilers looking for a fourth consecutive playoff series win against a physical and persistent L.A. Kings team, help is arriving at just the right time. According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, there’s a *chance* that Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman could all be available for Game 1, or at least early in the series. Some guys we know will be in, others we’re hopeful for. That’s not just one or two pieces — we’re talking about an entire line of impact players getting thrown back into the mix.

In my biased imagination, this changes everything. Or at least, it should.

Kane’s been out all season with an array of surgeries and injuries, Frederic has only played 7:10 since being acquired, Draisaitl missed 11 games with some lower-body issue, and Hyman’s day-to-day with an unknown issue suffered against the San Jose Sharks. On their own, each guy coming back would be a big boost. Together? It creates an intriguing (and tricky) puzzle for Knoblauch and the coaching staff to solve.

That brings us to this week’s What Would You Do Wednesday (Sunday Edition): If all four of these forwards are healthy and ready, how would *you* set up the Oilers’ line combinations?

A stacking problem in the best way possible​

Even though we know Leon Draisaitl will play — the guy would manage to be productive even if he had an arm ripped off — the status of the other forwards is quite as certain. When in the lineup, he’s one of the most dominant playoff producers in the league. His return doesn’t just help the power play, it balances out the entire top six. While we’re hopeful everyone will be back in time to play tomorrow, the reality is that there are still question marks lingering all over the place.

Inserting Evander Kane back into the lineup gives Edmonton a mix of grit, experience, and offensive punch that’s been sorely lacking at times throughout the seasons. Despite missing the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, Kane has shown to be a proven playoff performer — and that counts for something when the games get tighter and the ice gets smaller.

Trent Frederic, meanwhile, is a fascinating piece. The Oilers brought him in at the deadline to be a menace in the playoffs, and he fits that mold perfectly. He’s a north-south winger who forechecks hard, finishes checks, and can give you a little offence while being a pain in the ass to play against. If and I mean IF Frederic is healthy enough to play, having his bull in a china shop mentality the lineup would be a huge add.

As for Zach Hyman, he’s been one of the Oilers’ best forwards since signing on as a free agent four years ago. If he’s good to go, it’s hard to imagine him anywhere but back on McDavid’s wing. That said, Knoblauch has also had Hyman playing further down the lineup plenty as the year wore on, so your guess for where he slots in is as good as mine.

So, where does everybody go? That’s what I need your help figuring out.

How do you line this group up?​

EDM lines & pairings – Friday’s practice:

Hyman – McDavid – Brown
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Skinner – RNH – Henrique
Perry – Janmark – Kapanen
Kane – Ryan – Jones

Nurse – Bouchard
Kulak – Walman
Emberson – Brown
Dineen – Klingberg#Oilers

— Tony Brar (@TonyBrarOTV) April 18, 2025

If the Oilers are suddenly blessed with welcoming back an abundance of riches, how should Kris Knoblauch put it all together? How do you organize the group? There’s the temptation to load up with McDavid and Draisaitl together, but splitting them has long been the key to creating matchup nightmares — especially when Edmonton can roll three legitimate scoring lines.

Here’s one way it could shake out:

Skinner – McDavid – Brown
Kane – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Frederic – Nugent-Hopkins – Hyman
Janmark – Henrique – Perry

There’s room to tweak — and we know Coach Knoblauch will — but the idea is this: stack skill up top, mix sandpaper and speed through the middle six, and keep that fourth line fast and responsible. Henrique gives you versatility. If the Oilers want to get even more aggressive, you could flip Kane and Frederic or even move Hyman up to the first line and bump Brown back down into a checking role. There’s no shortage of combinations — and no excuse for not getting some secondary scoring at this point.

What would you do?​

This series isn’t going to be easy. The Kings have done a great job of winning games at home all seasons, and the Oilers haven’t had their full lineup on the ice even once all season. Potentially, getting four regulars back could be a game-changer, but only if they’re deployed properly and get up to speed quickly.

So, dear Nation Citizens — what’s your move? How do you line things up with Kane, Frederic, Draisaitl, and Hyman all (potentially) available? Let me know in the comments section, and let’s get weird with the combos. Playoff hockey is all about adjustments — and the Oilers have some big ones to make.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-playoff-line-combinations

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Five Bold Predictions for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

It’s finally playoff time in Edmonton and while the Oilers were far from dominant during the regular season, this is a group that’s more than capable of going on a deep run.

Many fans are worried about the new style of play that the Los Angeles Kings are executing, Darcy Kuemper’s ability to steal a series, or the Oilers’ ability to flip the switch and start playing their best hockey on night one of the playoffs, I’m not going to do any of that today.

Today is all about positive vibes.

These aren’t safe bets or overly analytical takes. These are bold, exciting predictions about the kind of playoff magic that makes hockey in Edmonton the absolute best. Some are things we’ll need to see if the Oilers want another crack at hockey in late June, others are just pure fun storylines that would make this run even sweeter. Let’s dive into my five bold, fearless predictions for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

1 – Trent Frederic Instantly Becomes a Fan Favourite​

We got only seven minutes of Trent Frederic in an Oilers jersey, but man, did he ever make them count. He hits hard, stirs things up after the whistle, and has shown he can put the puck in the net in big moments. Pair him up with McDavid or Draisaitl, and watch him become an overnight cult hero in Edmonton.

Once Frederic cracks the lineup, Oilers fans won’t be able to get enough of him. Hopefully, this time, he’s able to stay on the ice and not reaggravate his ankle issue. The gritty forward could be a game-changer this spring.

2 – Jeff Skinner Has His “Pisani Moment”​

Every playoff run, we’re on the hunt for a new Fernando Pisani — A depth guy who suddenly finds another gear and becomes a playoff legend.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if that guy were Jeff Skinner? Over 1,000 NHL games and he’s finally getting his first taste of playoff hockey. He’s earned the coaches’ trust, he’s getting important minutes, and I say he’s ready to deliver some clutch goals. Skinner is about to be Edmonton’s unexpected playoff hero.

3 – Evan Bouchard Shuts Down the Haters (Again)​

Okay, this isn’t exactly risky. Bouchard has been Edmonton’s best playoff defenseman two years running. But after a rocky regular season, one that came with massive expectations given his upcoming contract negotiations, a lot of people soured on him.

Forget that. Bouchard lives for the playoffs. Remember his clutch performances against Vancouver last year? He’s cleaned up his game lately, stepped up big without Ekholm, and mark my words, he’s about to have his best postseason yet.

4 – Calvin Pickard Doesn’t Make a Single Start​

Everyone’s nervous about Stuart Skinner after a shaky year, as the Edmonton native posted a .896 save percentage over 51 appearances in the regular season. Last spring, Pickard had to bail the Oilers out against Vancouver when Skinner was struggling, but this year I’m calling it right now: Skinner flips the switch in the playoffs.

He’s streaky, sure, but when he’s hot, he’s nearly unstoppable. Sitting out these past few weeks with a concussion might’ve been exactly the reset he needed. Skinner is going to bounce back huge, and Pickard won’t have to step in even once.

5 – Wild Card Chaos: Two Underdogs Advance​

Let’s zoom out a bit. Playoff chaos is half the fun, and this year’s shaping up perfectly. Everyone’s talking Ottawa over Toronto, but I’m thinking even bolder: The Canadiens stun the Capitals, and the Wild shock Vegas.

Minnesota plays gritty playoff hockey, and finally healthy, they’re dangerous. And here’s a bonus take: of all four division champs, only Toronto makes it to the conference finals. You heard it here first.

Alright, those are my bold takes. What do you think? Got your own spicy playoff predictions? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/five-bold-predictions-for-the-2025-stanley-cup-playoffs

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Real Life Podcast: A Live Version of the Podcast on Oilers playoff day

Nothing is better than a fresh episode of the Real Life podcast to recap the weekend and start your week. On the Monday episode of Real Life, the guys discussed the Oilers’ playoff push, played a live edition of the flag game, and much more.

The guys started the Monday episode of Real Life with a random debate about country flags after Chalmers admitted that he spent the weekend studying for a Flag Game showdown with Liam. If you’re new to the Flag Game, Liam is incredibly good at knowing the flags of different countries, which led Chalmers to throw down the gauntlet in a head-to-head matchup. As the live stream rolls along, Chalmers will have his chance to beat Liam in a Flag Game showdown that is certain to go poorly for him.

Changing gears to talk about the Oilers, the boys spoke about how lowered expectations for the Oilers may actually benefit Edmonton. Having the majority of pundits pick the Kings takes all of the pressure off the Oilers, and nothing would do a world of good for the team quite like finding a way to pick up a win in Los Angeles. From there, Chalmers and Jay challenged Liam to an impromptu Flag Game matchup, and as expected, Liam wiped the floor with the other two. Not only did he win the game, but he also offered to draw flags from memory to prove his prowess.

Finally getting to the Oilers, the boys talked about Game 1. Starting with Stuart Skinner getting the nod to start the series, Chalmers confessed that the most significant reason he’s nervous about the series is because of the netminder. They also talked about this game being the first time the Oilers have been healthy enough to play most of their lineup for the first time. How much of an impact will Trent Frederic make? Can the Dynamic Duo continue to succeed on the power play, which will likely be a primary key to victory, just as in the past three series?

Listen to the Monday episode of Real Life below:

Subscribe to the Real Life Podcast for FREE on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/real-...on-of-the-podcast-edmonton-oilers-playoff-day

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

10 memorable moments from the Oilers and Kings in the playoffs

The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings faced off in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year, starting on April 21, and it kicked off with a wild and exciting Game 1. The night began with an electrifying rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, performed by a group of harmonica players, which set the tone for the wacky action that followed.

With the Oilers trailing 5–4 late in the game, captain Connor McDavid—like he’s done so many times before—delivered another memorable moment in the Oilers–Kings rivalry, taking charge and tying the game with just over a minute and a half remaining, capping off a comeback that started with a 4–0 deficit. But the celebration was short-lived, as Phillip Danault’s floater slipped past Stuart Skinner less than a minute later, heartbreakingly spoiling the comeback.

If that’s a sign of things to come, the rest of the Oilers–Kings series will be must-see TV. With a memorable moment already in the books from Game 1, let’s look back at the top moments from their first-round playoff rivalry over the past four years.

Evander Kane Records Hat Trick in Game 3 of 2022​

The series between Edmonton and L.A. was tied 1-1 after two games in the 2022 playoffs, and in Game 3, Evander Kane put on a show.

He recorded a team-high nine shots and scored a hat trick— two of his goals came from doing what he does best when he’s at the top of his game — crashing the net and cashing in on rebounds. He also completed the hat trick in style, finishing off a pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and burying the puck with just under 20 seconds left in the game, en route to a convincing 8-2 Oilers win.

EVANDER KANE HAT-TRICK TO CAP OFF THE NIGHT. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/mtX3xcaenk

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 7, 2022

In addition, Kane was absolutely electric for the Oilers during that postseason run, tying Nathan MacKinnon for the most goals scored in the playoffs (13 goals).

Nurse Receives One-Game Suspension for Game 5 Head-Butt on Danault in 2022​

One of the more controversial moments of the 2022 first-round series between the Oilers and Kings came in Game 5, when Darnell Nurse was handed a one-game suspension for head-butting Phillip Danault. The incident happened late in the second period during a scrum in front of the Oilers’ net.

here's the darnell nurse headbutt that's got him a hearing with the department of player safety. https://t.co/D66LQlwjE5 pic.twitter.com/Anu6IIbjRV

— zach (@zjlaing) May 11, 2022

Nurse leaned in with his head and made contact with Danault — a move the NHL’s Department of Player Safety deemed intentional. The Oilers lost Game 5, giving the Kings a 3-2 series lead at the time. Nevertheless, the suspension forced Edmonton to play Game 6 without their minute-munching D-man in a must-win situation, adding even more tension to an already heated series.

Tyson Barrie Buries Crucial Go-Ahead Goal in Game 6 in 2022​

Down 3–2 in the first-round series and without Nurse, the Oilers came out firing in Game 6 against the Kings, jumping out to an early two-goal lead with their season on the line. But that lead vanished when Carl Grundstrom tied it up early in the third, creating some tense ‘next goal wins’ energy. That’s when former Oilers defenceman Tyson Barrie came up clutch.

TYSON WITH THE GWG. pic.twitter.com/zezmgm6jv3

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 13, 2022

With close to five minutes remaining in the game, Leon Draisaitl teed up a perfect pass to Barrie, who ripped home the go-ahead goal—his first and only goal of that playoff run—which turned out to be the game-winner, keeping the Oilers alive and forcing a Game 7.

Kane Flashes Seven Fingers to Signify Game 7 After Scoring Empty-Netter in Game 6 in 2022​

Nearly four minutes after Barrie’s go-ahead goal in Game 6, and with the Kings’ goalie pulled, Kane found himself alone on a breakaway, tucking the puck into the empty net for his second of the night. And, being in LA, Kane fully embraced the role like he was a villain straight out of a Quentin Tarantino film, flashing seven fingers to the Tinseltown crowd like a true bad guy—a move that Will Ferrell probably hated but Oilers’ fans absolutely loved.

Evander Kane flashed the 7-finger celebration to the Kings crowd after scoring the empty netter in Game 6.

🖐 pic.twitter.com/tnkY3XEXzI

— BarDown (@BarDown) May 13, 2022

When Kane was asked in the postgame interview about what his seven fingers signified, he simply said, “It means Game 7, baby,” as the Oilers forced a pivotal Game 7. He further added, “It’s going to be juicy, it’s going to be juicy,” setting the stage for a high-stakes finale at Rogers Place.

Connor McDavid Scores the Dagger Goal in Game 7 Against the Kings in 2022​

Connor McDavid rose to the occasion in Game 7 against the Kings in 2022, delivering one of the biggest performances of his career to that point. The winner-takes-all game was tight-checking, with the Oilers struggling to break through until the second period when McDavid set up former Oiler Cody Ceci—Mr. Game 7 himself, for the opening goal.

Late in the third, rather than sitting back, the captain took over. He grabbed the puck, darted toward the Kings’ goal, went around the net, bullied his way to the front and roofed it over Jonathan Quick to finish off an amazing individual effort.

CONNOR. MCDAVID. #Game7 #StanleyCup

NHL x @massmutual

: @espn https://t.co/qTGIiEWyJs
: @sportsnet https://t.co/FNYGtwwdpA pic.twitter.com/F1ACSjPRMK

— NHL (@NHL) May 15, 2022

The crowd at Rogers Place erupted when McDavid’s big goal sealed the deal, and his celebration was filled with emotion, as everyone knew the Oilers were moving on to the second round after a big 2-0 win in Game 7.

Jack Campbell Steps Up in Relief in Game 4, Stops Arvidsson on Breakaway for Potential Series-Saving Save in 2023​

In Game 4 of the 2023 playoffs, with the Oilers down 2-1 in the series, Edmonton found themselves in trouble early, falling behind 3-0 to the Kings. Stuart Skinner was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots in the first period, and in came former Oiler Jack Campbell. Despite a less-than-stellar legacy with the Oilers, Game 4 in the first round against the Kings in 2023 could be considered Campbell’s pinnacle of his time with Edmonton.

soup's on. a massive stop from jack campbell keeps the oilers in this one. pic.twitter.com/nfOjtufLig

— zach (@zjlaing) April 24, 2023

Campbell played lights out when he took over in the net in the second period, allowing his team to mount a comeback. Above all, with the Oilers still down 4-3, the netminder made an incredible save on former Kings player and current Oiler Viktor Arvidsson. The Swede pulled off a nice breakaway deke, but Campbell sprawled out with what was likely a series-saving pad save, keeping Edmonton within one. Less than two minutes later, Kane scored the crucial game-tying goal, sending the game to overtime.

Zach Hyman Snipes OT Winner in Monumental Game 4 Comeback in 2023​

After an unforgettable comeback in Game 4 of 2023, with Campbell’s heroics keeping Edmonton in the game and Kane scoring the late equalizer, Zach Hyman stepped up to seal the deal in OT.

THIS SERIES IS TIED AND HEADING BACK TO EDMONTON

Zach Hyman rips home the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner to give the Oilers the Game 4 victory. pic.twitter.com/iMR3ES7FyI

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 24, 2023

Evan Bouchard fired a stretch pass to Hyman, who then barreled in on his off-wing. With no hesitation, he took advantage of his open lane, fired a wrister that beat Joonas Korpisalo through the pads, scoring the game-winner and tying the series at two apiece.

Kailer Yamamoto Scores Series-Winning Goal in Game 6 of 2023​

Former Oiler Kailer Yamamoto played 277 games with Edmonton, and his biggest moment in an Oilers uniform came in Game 6 against the Kings in 2023.

Heading into Game 6, Yamamoto was still point-less through the first five games and had been dropped from the top six to the bottom six. Despite that, he rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

a long shot from kailer yamamoto finds its way into the back of the net. 5-4 oilers late in the third of game six. pic.twitter.com/B4uVhKBYwb

— zach (@zjlaing) April 30, 2023

With the Oilers holding a 3-2 series lead and the game tied 4-4, the former Oiler found himself with time and space. He unleashed a wrister from the top of the circle that beat Korpisalo with just three minutes remaining. His tally turned out to be the winner, and the Oilers held on to win 5-4, eliminating the Kings and securing the series victory 4-2.

Zach Hyman Tallies First Career Playoff Hat Trick in Game 1 of 2024​

Zach Hyman had an unforgettable 2023–24 regular season, scoring 54 goals, and carried that momentum into the playoffs, starting the 2024 postseason on a heater.

Zach Hyman nets his first career playoff hat trick while Connor McDavid picks up his FIFTH assist! pic.twitter.com/ZShTKsKX9Q

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 23, 2024

In Game 1 against the Kings, Hyman recorded a hat trick—and he did it all in classic Hyman fashion, burying each goal a few feet from the blue paint. He capped off the third goal in vintage Hyman style, planting himself at the post and redirecting a McDavid pass into the net. It was Hyman’s first career playoff hat trick, with hats raining down at Rogers Place, and his captain notched an impressive five-assist night himself.

Stuart Skinner Records First Career Playoff Shutout in Game 4 of 2024​

The Oilers were up 2-1 in the series against the Kings in 2024, and netminder Stuart Skinner stepped up with an incredible game in Game 4.

Stuart Skinner shut the door in Game 4 for his first career #StanleyCup Playoff shutout pic.twitter.com/NkB16rroLq

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 29, 2024

The Oilers were in tough against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena, with the home team outshooting Edmonton 33-13 and also outchancing in high danger chances 14-4. That said, Skinner stepped up with a spectacular performance, stopping all 33 shots he faced and recorded his first career playoff shutout in the process.

Moreover, he also became just the eighth goaltender in Oilers franchise history to record a shutout in the postseason. Evan Bouchard scored the lone goal for the Oilers in the second period, leading Edmonton to a 1-0 victory in Game 4, setting the stage for their series-clinching win in Game 5.

Building on the last point, Stuart Skinner has shown he can step up against the Kings, most recently shutting them out in last year’s playoffs. That said, after allowing six goals in Game 1, who do you feel should take the net next game?

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/10-memorable-moments-oilers-kings-playoff-rivalry

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Matthew Tkachuk, who spent months on LTIR ahead of playoffs, plays Game 1 for Panthers after NHL raises stink

It looks like the NHL’s Long-Term Injury Reserve system has gone from the biggest cap circumvention open secret to a messy grey area the league can’t seem to figure out how to enforce.

In recent years, controversy has arisen with multiple teams’ use of LTIR during the season in order to free up cap space, then activating those players for the playoffs when their salary doesn’t count towards the cap–allowing teams to field some very expensive rosters in the postseason.

The Edmonton Oilers are one of the most recent to face scrutiny for this, with Evander Kane out on LTIR throughout this season, but now potentially set to play in the playoffs. Well actually, the NHL is now monitoring situations like this so closely, that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that he believes it’s one of the reasons Kane did not appear in Game 1 for the Oilers.

This season, it appears the Florida Panthers are in a similar situation. as Matthew Tkachuk has been activated from injured reserve, starting his first game since February. Florida is taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night in Game 1 of their first round series.

It is unclear at this point if the NHL is monitoring this situation, and what that actually entails, including what proof of malpractice they are looking for and what penalties, if any, could potentially emerge.

If anything, it just raises more questions. If it’s true that the Oilers didn’t play Kane for fear of retaliation from the league, what information did they have that lead them to believe they may be in trouble? What’s different between that situation and the one with Tkachuk?

Not to mention, Florida and Edmonton are hardly the first two teams to activate major players off LTIR for the playoffs, with notable examples including the Vegas Golden Knights with Mark Stone (multiple times) and the Tampa Bay Lightning with Nikita Kucherov. Are any other teams being monitored for this by the league?

In any of these situations, some say it’s a wild conspiracy to suggest something suspicious is happening, while others argue it’s an obvious loophole that any smart team has to use to their advantage lest they fall behind. Either way, it does seem to happen more often than you’d expect, and for a league so focused on parity, the NHL would be smart to put better systems in place to keep teams in check.

At the same time, if the NHL is actively monitoring these situations, it’s important that they’re keeping an eye on it across the league. Knowing the league, it wouldn’t be the first time certain teams get punished while others get off scott-free.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/matth...ys-game-1-for-panthers-after-nhl-raises-stink

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Evander Kane and John Klingberg draw in for Oilers, Jeff Skinner and Josh Brown out for Game 2

The Edmonton Oilers will have two reinforcements in the lineup when they face the Los Angeles Kings for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night.

According to Tony Brar of Oilers TV, winger Evander Kane and defenceman John Klingberg will draw into the lineup for the Oilers while Jeff Skinner and Josh Brown will be scratched to make room for them.

Kane is playing on Edmonton’s second forward line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins down the middle and Zach Hyman on the right. The Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together on the top forward line with Corey Perry. Klingberg will play alongside Jake Walman on the blueline while Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard are together on the top defensive pairing.

This will be Kane’s first game since last year’s Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. He underwent multiple surgeries in September and then had another operation done in January and ultimately missed the entirety of the regular season.

Kane scored 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games for Edmonton in 2023-24 despite spending much of the season playing through injury. He’s appeared in 47 playoff games with the Oilers and has 20 goals and 30 points along with 120 penalty minutes.

Coming out of the lineup is a tough pill to swallow for Jeff Skinner, as he played in the first playoff game of his NHL career on Monday after 1,078 regular-season games. The former Carolina Hurricane and Buffalo Sabre was a minus-two in Game 1 against the Kings.

Klingberg signed a one-year contract with the Oilers in January but only appeared in a handful of games before getting sidelined in late March with a lower-body injury. He scored one goal and four points over 11 games while logging an average of 17:15 per night.

Josh Brown played under five minutes on Monday and the Oilers said they were comfortable essentially playing with five defenders. If Klingberg struggles early in Game 2, he might ride the bench like Brown did in Game 1.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/evand...rs-jeff-skinner-and-josh-brown-out-for-game-2

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Instant Reaction +2.0: Kings hammer Oilers 6-2, take 2-0 series lead

The Los Angeles Kings took care of business at home.

With a commanding 6-2 win on Wednesday, the Kings now have a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers. Let’s go through the highlights from Game 2 along with some things worth mentioning.

The Kings opened the scoring in the middle of the first period with a power-play goal. This is going to be a theme for the night. Former Oiler Warren Foegele broke the puck into Edmonton’s zone and centred a pass for defenceman Brandt Clarke, who joined the play and buried his first NHL playoff goal.

Brandt Clarke puts the Kings up 1-0

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Io6Myo41AF

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The Oilers had an opportunity on the man advantage shortly after the Kings opened the scoring, but they weren’t able to convert. The best opportunity was turned aside by Darcy Kuemper when Zach Hyman was robbed on the doorstep.

Darcy Kuemper makes an incredible save robbing Zach Hyman

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/E9ui8gj6xl

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The Kings extended their lead to 2-0 a few minutes into the second period, this time with an even-strength goal. The Oilers weren’t able to break out of their own zone, Quinton Byfield picked up a loose puck along the boards, skated in alone, and roofed a shot over Stuart Skinner for his second goal of the series.

Quinton Byfield scores for LA. It's 2-0 Kings

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/kPQepj2AGK

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The Oilers killed off one penalty in the second period, but the Kings were able to bury another with the man advantage to go up 3-0 in the middle of the frame. Trent Frederic was called for hooking and Andrei Kuzmenko capitalized.

Andrei Kuzmenko scores on the power play. It's 3-0 Kings

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/JZ6zakdqaq

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The Oilers finally got on the board with just over six minutes left to play in the second period. John Klingberg walked the puck into the middle of the ice and made a nice shot-pass that deflected off Leon Draisaitl and past Darcy Kuemper to make the score 3-1.

LEON DRAISAITL GETS THE OILERS BACK IN THIS GAME!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/f2vzr4NmwU

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The comeback appeared to be in full swing early in the third period. Vasily Podkolzin carried the puck deep into the Kings’ zone, sent a pass back to the point for Brett Kulak, and his shot deflected off Viktor Arvidsson and past Kuemper to bring the Oilers to within one.

VIKTOR ARVIDSSON GETS THE OILERS WITHIN ONE!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/zTiNgvzToo

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

That was as close as Edmonton would get, as the Kings killed their momentum a couple of minutes later with a goal of their own. Anze Kopitar forced a turnover and Adrian Kempe sniped a shot over Skinner to make the score 4-2.

Adrian Kempe gets the Kings two goal lead back.

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PZrdK4cP5k

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

The Oilers continued to give Los Angeles power play opportunities and they continued to capitalize. While Adam Henrique was in the box for an undisciplined roughing call, Kopitar tapped in a cross-zone pass from Kevin Fiala to put the Kings up 5-2.

The Kings score their 3rd power play goal of the night.

5-2 LA

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/qTNn9u8Fu2

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

With Skinner out of the net, the Kings also made sure to score a goal on backup Calvin Pickard for good measure. Adrian Kempe came into Edmonton’s zone on a two-on-one and sniped blocker side.

Kempe scores again. 6-2 LA

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/pW4m1jd6h1

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 24, 2025

Takeaways from Game 2…​

Just like in Game 1, the story on Wednesday was special teams. The Kings scored on three of five power-play opportunities in their 6-2 win, while the Oilers weren’t able to score on either of their chances with the man advantage. The Kings are five-for-ten on the power play through two games in this series and the Oilers are zero-for-five.

It was another forgettable outing for Stuart Skinner, who allowed five goals on 28 shots. After allowing ten goals across Games 1 and 2, will the Oilers go with Pickard for Game 3 in Edmonton? There have certainly been some terrible defensive lapses in front of Skinner, but he simply hasn’t come up with big saves like Kuemper has for the Kings.

Teams who have gone up 2-0 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win that series 87.7 percent of the time in NHL history. In last year’s playoffs, the only team to come back and win after going down 2-0 was the Dallas Stars, who trailed the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.

The last time the Oilers came back from down 2-0 to win a playoff series was in 2006 against the San Jose Sharks. Edmonton dropped the first two games of the series on the road, stayed alive with a triple overtime victory in Game 3, and then finished off the Sharks with four consecutive wins.

Let’s hope Game 3 in 2025 isn’t quite as stressful. The Oilers and Kings will meet in Edmonton on Friday in what’s already a must-win situation.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/instant-reaction-kings-hammer-oilers-take-2-0-series-lead

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Ask Dubey: Former NHLer Devan Dubnyk answers questions about the playoffs, being traded, and more

Welcome to Ask Dubey! I’m very excited to launch this new show on Oilersnation.

If you’re unfamiliar, I’m Devan Dubnyk. I played 12 years in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche.

That sounds like a lot, but most of my career was spent between Edmonton and Minnesota. I played 500-plus games in the league and I know a little bit about hockey. I’ve seen a few shots come my way and I’ve also watched a lot of hockey. I did some analyst work with the NHL Network and I’m currently analyzing playoff games on Pre-Gaming With Bordzy and Oilersnation After Dark.

This is a perfect time to get this show going and explain what it’s about. This is an exciting show. It’s a chance to interact with fans and it’s an important thing for you not to get cliché answers, the generic post-game answers, the regular media answers.

I want to field questions from you guys. Anything you can think of on the ice, things you see in the league, things you see in youth hockey, off the ice, anything you want to get an answer from an ex-NHL player, I’m game to talk about.

I’m happy to give you candid answers and insight from my perspective on that stuff. The best way to get your questions answered is by tagging Oilersnation on social media with the hashtag AskDuby or dropping your question in the comment section on the YouTube videos.

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Watch the first episode of Ask Dubey on Oilersnation’s YouTube channel…​

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Question: Now that you’re a little bit removed from your playing career, what’s one piece of advice you would give your 18-year-old self?​

That’s a great question and an interesting one to think of, because when I think back, obviously, I went through a lot of ups and downs in my career.

I wouldn’t take anything back, though. I was extremely happy. There were a lot of down times, and I’d love to change things. But when I look back on it and where I am now, I really wouldn’t want to change anything. I learned so many things from the ups and downs as a person.

One thing I wouldn’t tell myself is that it’s very difficult to make the NHL as a goalie. When I say that, it’s because it’s important for kids and anybody who dreams of playing professional or playing in the NHL to hold on to that dream. Almost for lack of a better word, you need to naively hold on to that dream. Because if you look back at all the pieces that need to fall exactly into place, skill level or not, for everything to happen the way that it did, if you knew that at 18 years old, it might seem extremely overwhelming.

I know it would have been difficult for me to think ahead. Take it from draft day. I just got picked in the first round by Edmonton. Everything is amazing. I’m going to play for the Edmonton Oilers. And that’s how you should be thinking. But Nikolai Khabibulin had to hurt his back for me to get an opportunity to play. And then we had to be bad for me to really get an opportunity to play.

It took me a while to get there. And all of these things that happened, like getting traded, ending up in the American League, I needed to get a chance. It had to be in Arizona to get this opportunity, and then getting traded in Minnesota at the right time. I mean, all of these things, the way they need to fall in place, it would be extremely overwhelming as an 18-year-old to know this.

I would just tell myself the same thing. Just keep dreaming and focus on what you have to do to get there.

Question: What do you remember about being traded to Nashville? What was the phone call like?​

There aren’t a lot of good things when it comes to remembering the trade to Nashville. It was just crazy. I found out from text messages before I actually talked to the team.

Things were obviously not going well that year. It was an extremely difficult year. We were on the road in the hotel room in Minnesota, and I got a call from our assistant general manager, and he said, ‘Can you come up to my room to talk to me?

And I instantly got extremely nervous. I knew something was up, but you also don’t know for sure. Before I even got to the elevator, my phone just started ringing. My brother was calling me, my friends were calling me. It all got out in the media that the trade had happened before I even got an opportunity to talk and be told.

It was really a crazy experience for me, considering it was the first time I was traded. I just dreamed that I was going to play in Edmonton my whole career. And obviously that’s not realistic for most people. A lot of guys do.

The first few days after the trade, I would go to sleep and have these weird dreams. I would wake up, and I would have to ask myself if it really happened. Did that really happen? I’m no longer an Edmonton Oiler. I’m now a Nashville Predator. It didn’t feel real for days and days. I’d fall asleep and forget and wake up and then remember, I’m now a Nashville predator.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/ask-d...ions-about-the-playoffs-being-traded-and-more

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers vs. Kings: Game 3 Information, Line Combinations, Starting Goaltenders, and More

The Edmonton Oilers have little room for error after dropping Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings earlier this week.

The Kings worked hard down the stretch to clinch second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage over the Oilers for the first time in four consecutive playoff meetings between the two rivals.

Los Angeles nearly blew Game 1 on Monday and then cruised to victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. Now, all of the pressure is on Edmonton to respond with two home wins of their own.

Oilers vs. Kings Game 3 Information​

• Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
• Start Time: 8:00 PM MT
• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Venue: Rogers Place
• Watch: Sportsnet (Canada), TNT (USA), Sling (Stream)

Projected Line Combinations​

• Oilers: Evander Kane and John Klingberg came into the lineup in favour of Jeff Skinner and Josh Brown in Game 2. Both Kane and Klingberg played well enough to stay in the lineup for Game 3, but the Oilers might look to make some changes elsewhere. Trent Frederic is battling through an ankle injury and can’t play with the same speed and physicality as he’s used to, so he might sit out to make room for Skinner.
• Kings: There’s no reason for the Kings to make any major changes after winning the first two games of this series. The only difference from Game 1 to Game 2 for Los Angeles was forward Alex Turcotte coming out of the lineup for defenceman Jacob Moverare. Otherwise, the Kings are locked in with their top three forward lines and top four defenders.

Projected Starting Goaltenders​

• Oilers: Stuart Skinner allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1 and was pulled in the third period of Game 2 after allowing five goals on 28 shots. All told, the Edmonton native has an .810 save percentage over two starts. The Oilers won’t confirm their goalie for Game 3 until closer to game time, but head coach Kris Knoblauch said the team has considered making a change and going with Calvin Pickard.
• Kings: Darcy Kuemper looked a little shaky in Game 1 when the Oilers stormed back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score at 5-5 in the third period. He was much better for the Kings in Game 2, turning aside 24 of the 26 shots Edmonton threw his way. The 2022 Stanley Cup winner has an .863 save percentage over two starts in the playoffs and there’s no doubt he’ll start Game 3.

Thoughts and Notes Going into Game 3​

• If the Oilers can’t find their game quickly, this is going to be a very short post-season for the defending Western Conference Champions. Losing on Friday and Sunday, of course, would result in a sweep at the hands of the Kings. Splitting the two games in Edmonton would mean the Oilers have to head back to Los Angeles just one loss away from elimination.
• The Kings were beaten by the Oilers in seven games in 2022, six games in 2023, and five games in 2024, and they surely see 2025 as their best opportunity to finally get over the hump. Los Angeles brought a level of desperation in Games 1 and 2 that the Oilers weren’t able to match, treating those two home games like must-wins. Edmonton needs to play with that desperation in Games 3 and 4 to make this a series.
• Head coach Kris Knoblauch said on Thursday that playing at home should spark the Oilers and help them with some tactical adjustments: “We’re very optimistic going back to Edmonton and playing in front of our fans, getting L.A. to play on the road. … The forecheck’s been good, getting them to turn over pucks. But now it’s the next play. They’re a very patient team, and they’re okay with sitting back and waiting for us to lose focus or lose patience and then taking advantage of it. So we have to stick with it and have the mentality of winning a 1-0 or 2-1 game.”
• Where the Oilers badly need to make an adjustment is on special teams. Last year, Edmonton dominated in that department, going 9-for-20 on the power play while killing off all 12 of the opportunities the Kings had. It’s been a complete reversal through the first two games of the series this year, as Los Angeles has gone 5-for-10 with the man advantage while completely shutting Edmonton’s usually lethal power play down.
• The Kings’ top line of Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Andrei Kuzmenko has been dominant, combining for six goals through the first two games of the series. The other six of Los Angeles’ goals from Games 1 and 2 were scattered throughout the lineup, with two coming from Quinton Byfield, two from Phillip Danault, one from Kevin Fiala, and one from defenceman Brandt Clarke.
• Knoblauch also said that the Oilers have considered changing goaltenders in Game 3, noting that the team expects to use both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard during the playoffs: “We knew throughout the season, if we’re fortunate enough to play through June, that most likely we’re going to make a switch (in net) at some time. But we haven’t made a decision as of now. It’s unfortunate for Skinner because I don’t think any of those goals are his fault. He’s in a difficult situation. The amount of chances were low, but the quality of the shots were high. That’s not easy for the goaltender. You can have some of those once in a while, but just not too many. So it’s just unfortunate for him, but that’s something we’ll have to decide.”

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-kings-game-3-information-line-combinations-starting-goaltenders

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Instant Reaction +3.0: Third period rally lifts Oilers to 7-4 win over Kings

The Edmonton Oilers badly needed a win in Game 3 on Friday, and they got the job done.

After dropping Games 1 and 2 in Los Angeles earlier this week, the Oilers returned home and hammered the Kings by a score of 7-4 to put this first-round series at 2-1.

Let’s go through the highlights from Game 3 and some things worth mentioning.

For the first time this postseason, the Oilers opened the scoring. Just over three minutes into the first period, Connor McDavid forced a turnover, got the puck to Zach Hyman, who passed it out front to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The longest-serving Oiler was all alone in front of the net for a while, out waiting Darcy Kuemper and firing it blocker side for the 1-0 lead.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS OPENS THE SCORING EARLY AND EDMONTON IS BUZZING!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/1SYuryGsCO

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

Midway through the first period, the Oilers achieved another first this postseason. Their first power play of the game lasted three seconds, as Leon Draisaitl won the faceoff, set a pick on Anže Kopitar, allowing Evan Bouchard to fire it home.

IT ONLY TOOK THE OILERS THREE SECONDS TO SCORE ON THE POWER-PLAY!

BOUCH BOMB!!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/cfVDKfVnJV

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

The Kings cut the lead in half late in the first period. On a rush play for the Kings, McDavid and Bouchard went to the same player, leaving Adrian Kempe all alone in the slot. McDavid got a piece of it, which deflected it over Calvin Pickard’s shoulder and into the back of the net.

Adrian Kempe gets the Kings on the board.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/aeveBG7yk5

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

Edmonton’s best period all season was the second period, but the same cannot be said about the postseason. Late on the Kings’ power about six minutes into the second, Kevin Fiala was in an identical spot to where Kempe scored, and once again, an Oilers player deflected the puck above Pickard’s shoulder to tie the game up at two.

Fiala ties it on the L.A. powerplay.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/v7flh4BWJ2

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

With just under five minutes left in the second period, Drew Doughty’s shot from the point beat Pickard as he was heavily screened by two players. Not much he could’ve done on this one, but once again, this goal came on the penalty kill.

Drew Doughty gives the L.A. Kings a 3-2 lead.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/zG0EQy8yzu

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

The Oilers had an answer, though. Just over two minutes after the Kings’ 3-2 goal, the Oilers tied the score, as Evander Kane made a great pass to Connor Brown in front of the net, deflecting it past Kuemper for the 3-3 tie.

KANE TO BROWN!

*seconds later the kings re-gain the lead*

: Sportsnet | #LetGoOilers pic.twitter.com/dVvXV8gSGU

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

But nine seconds later, the Kings scored a demoralizing goal. Jake Walman got burned on a stretch pass. Trevor Moore broke in with Walman all over him, but that didn’t matter as Moore poked the puck between Pickard’s five-hole for the 4-3 lead.

This game is a different kind of torture.

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/KSQUXsVNk4

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

With their season on the line in the third period, the Kings stymied the Oilers’ offence, that was until there were about six and a half minutes left. Chaos ensued from a Walman point shot, Kuemper fell over, and the puck found itself to Kane in the crease. He kicked it at first, but got a touch of the puck with his stick before the puck went in.

WE HAVE A GOOD GOAL..RIGHT?!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/8yJykXWBt1

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

After two different reviews, one for the kicking motion and one for goalie interference, the Oilers ended up on the power play. It took the Oilers just 10 seconds to regain the lead, as Bouchard got the zone entry, dropped it to Draisaitl, got to the net and tipped in Draisaitl’s pass for the 5-4 lead.

PUT SOME RESPECT ON HIS NAME..EVAN BOUCHARD GIVES EDMONTON A 5-4 LEAD.

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Fx5UbUR8HJ

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

Oil Country got some relief in the final two minutes of the game with Edmonton burying two insurance goals. Hyman threw a huge hit at the Oilers’ blueline and got the puck to McDavid, who iced the game with a goal into the empty net. Connor Brown also added a second empty-netter in the final few seconds.

MCDAVID PUTS AWAY GAME 3..WE HAVE A SERIES!

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/AIXVwxiTjb

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

Takeaways…​

That was a must-win game. The Oilers have dug themselves out of a 3-0 hole in a series before to force Game 7, but falling down so quickly into the postseason doesn’t bode well for the rest of the run. It’s encouraging how they won this game, though the big test is finding a way to win on the road.

Jake Walman had a tough game by the eye test. He failed to get a clear on the Kings’ game-tying goal. The puck eventually left the zone, but the Kings scored on that zone entry. On the 3-2 goal, he took a needless penalty, leading to the goal. On their fourth goal, he got burned by Trevor Moore. He was also a game-high plus-three rating, so maybe the eye test isn’t always right?

With that being said, the Oilers are really missing Mattias Ekholm. They allowed goals on both penalty kills, bringing their postseason penalty kill percentage below 50%, killing off just five penalties on 12 attempts. The good news is that their power play got going, scoring on both of their opportunities.

Evander Kane made an impact. He took a needless one before the Kings’ first power-play goal. He finished his check, but decided to slew-foot the player, knocking him down and clipping him with a high stick. Still, Kane had a positive game. On the third goal, he made a terrific net-front pass. He also scored the fourth goal, his first goal since May 18 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Calvin Pickard didn’t have a great game on paper, allowing four goals on 29 shots for an .862 save percentage. But he made big saves. One came in the first period on a breakaway, turning the puck away with his pad. The other came in the final minute, getting a pad to the cross-ice pass. They have to start him again in Game 4.

Connor Brown finishes it off perfectly, allowing the Oilers to take Game 3 with a score of 7-4.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/JXM5pMi5OT

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

Evan Bouchard had a good game. He scored twice but he also made some terrific defensive plays in his own zone. When I saw he and John Klingberg were a pairing, I was a bit confused/shocked/upset, pick an adjective. But they played well together.

This is now officially a series. Next up is another game in Edmonton, as the two teams battle on Sunday at 7:30 PM MT. The Oilers need a win.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/instant-reaction-third-period-rally-oilers-beat-kings-game-3

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers vs. Kings – Game 3: A Tactical Review

When I was a young hockey player, I had a coach who would run his practices in blue jeans. No, it wasn’t Jason Strudwick.

More memorable than my coach wearing denim for a 90-minute practice was him constantly saying to us, “play fast to play slow.”

What it meant is something I talked about in the Tactical Preview to this series, which was that the Oilers needed to get into the offensive quickly and then slow down to develop the attack.

This would have a two-pronged effect. First, it would prevent the Kings from creating transition chances off neutral zone turnovers. Second, it would take advantage of a Los Angeles defensive zone that has its struggles.

Whether it was the home cooking or lots of good video work, Game 3 played out exactly like that. The result was a hard-fought and critical win. Maybe as important, the Oilers might have found the key to challenging this fast-tempo, quick-strike Kings team.

What was the key? Let’s go to the video.

What Caught My Eye?​

Playing Quick Creates Chaos​

Right from the Oilers’ first goal, it was pretty clear there was a determination to move the puck up the ice quickly and try to pressure the Kings in their own zone.

Here is the clip that starts with Darnell Nurse in his own zone. He could have reversed the puck back below the net and waited for a re-group attack, but instead, he turned and sent the puck to McDavid in the middle of the ice.

Now, it wasn’t a clean entry, but look at the setup here for the Oilers. They have three players on the blueline ready to attack, and the puck has already beaten the Kings to the defensive zone. Bouchard plays his 60-degree lob wedge here, and the Oilers win the forecheck battle.

Here comes the chaos. The Kings play a very swarming style of defence down low. It can be exploited. It was here and the Oilers had their first lead of the series.

Here is another example of a great backcheck by Evander Kane. His pressure back allows Jake Walman to attack his player on the wall.

The puck comes loose in the middle of the ice, and Kane gathers it up and immediately attacks Los Angeles’s zone. When Kane retrieves the puck, you can see the Kings are still trying to sort out their defensive coverage. Kane and Brown connect on a great pass-tip play, and it’s a goal.

My favourite one of the night involved two defencemen. It is a shame Mattias Ekholm cannot play because this defence group is so dynamic on and off the puck.

On this play, it is noted defender, Vasily Podkolzin, going back for the retrieval. Instead of just eating the puck behind the net, he makes a quick, strong pass to Jake Walman on the boards. Walman promptly sends it to Kulak, who is attacking the middle of the Kings’ zone.

That’s right, two defenders up on the attack. Kulak gets his shot away, and there’s a loose puck. Again, because the Oilers were in the zone so quickly, the Kings are scrambling to sort out assignments. Watch at the end of this clip how wide open Leon Draisaitl is at the net. If McDavid can thread the needle, it is certainly a high danger chance.

The more important part of this play is that the puck never left the Kings zone until it was in the back of their net.

This entire goal started because Vasily Podkolzin and two defenders attacked quickly. Once the puck was in the zone, the Oilers went to work on their in-zone play and the game was tied.

The Oilers, but for about nine minutes of play early in the game, were relentless in trying to get into the Kings’ zone quickly. Even late in the game, look at this play by Brett Kulak. He doesn’t slow the play down. Instead, he attacks quickly with three Kings forecheckers up the ice. It leads to a half-formed 3v2 that could have been quick and dangerous for the Oilers.

Even when the plays were starting slowly, the Oilers still tried to advance the puck as far up the ice as they could to get on the forecheck.

Here is a great example. Bouchard, who had some great play in Game 3, makes a ridiculous stretch pass for the tip-in. The Oilers get on their 1-2-2 offensive zone forecheck.

Now, watch once the Oilers set up. I have been shouting from the mountain tops for the Oilers to run more 2-3 offensive zone attacks. They were much better on Friday, and watch this little addition on the attack here with Bouchard and Draisaitl switching.

This play was defended quite well by the Kings, but the pass still gets across the ice and just misses Arvidsson.

From my tracking, this was the best 60 minutes of attack from the Oilers in this series. The third period of Game 1 was off the charts, but this was far more consistent and led to far more chances for Edmonton. A major key to this was the play of the team to get on the attack and into the zone quickly.

Pick N’ Roll Hockey Style​

We have to talk about the game-winner by Evan Bouchard off a brilliant pass from Leon Draisaitl. When I first saw it, I was reminded of so many basketball plays I’ve seen over the years.

Bouchard enters the zone with no pressure. I don’t understand that, given it was a 1v3, but the Kings don’t attack. Bouchard drops the puck to Draisaitl and then just rubs off the Kings defender into a little seam area. The pass Draisaitl makes is sublime. Bouchard scores.

Now, maybe I am crazy, but watch this basketball play and tell me if it doesn’t look similar.

In any event, it was a spectacular offensive play by two great offensive players.

Still Have Some Homework​

The Oilers were better this game in defending the rush, but not perfect. The forward group had a more determined effort to protect against layered attacks. The defenders were ok, but not great.

The Kings’ fourth goal is an example, so let’s start here. Calvin Pickard needs to make this save. No question. I am not too critical of the other goals, although much like Skinner, a save would be good.

On this one, you need to be able to stop a puck that is shot by a guy with one hand on his stick being mauled. All that said, Jake Walman committed the cardinal sin for defenders. On a pressure play on the wall, you either need to get the man or the puck. Walman got neither. He starts with a very poor angle by getting on the high side of Moore. He needed to attack him from underneath so that he had Moore in front of him. Moore rolls off with the puck, and now it is a race to the net.

Again, I want my NHL goalie to make this save. However, it should never have come to this in the first place had Walman managed the situation better. The Oilers were cleaner this game, but more improvement is available to them.

Game 4 Thoughts…​

Calvin Pickard will start. The young man fights no matter what I think of his style of play. In the end, he was Grant Fuhr in Game 3. He made one more save.

The play of John Klingberg can not be overstated. He was tremendous tonight and he only looked overwhelmed a couple of times on speed rushes. This is a major development for the Oilers. His play along with the brilliant play of Brett Kulak and Jake Walman tonight give the team some options on how to deploy.

Evander Kane. I never thought I would see Kane in an Oilers jersey again. Yet, here he is and he is playing well. 1-1-2 tonight and was a menace on the forecheck. Again with Trent Frederic labouring this is a very welcome development.

The Kings essentially ran nine forwards and four defencemen tonight. The Oilers went back to more normal set-ups for their lines, and I wonder if this Kings deployment runs out of juice as the series carries on.

That’s it for the Game 3 Tactical Review. Thanks for reading. See you after Game 4.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-vs-kings-game-3-a-tactical-review

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Big Win for the Oilers and Signs of Progress Against the Kings

The silver lining for the Edmonton Oilers after losing the first two games of this series against the Los Angeles Kings was that they had many areas to improve upon. They didn’t play great and lose. They struggled in many facets, and they knew if they cleaned up some areas they could compete.

They weren’t perfect in Game 3 on Friday, but they were much better in some key aspects of their game, and that allowed them to win and get back in the series.

Santa Claus didn’t make an appearance. The Oilers didn’t just gift LA great scoring chances by giving them the puck with time and space. At 4×4, Connor McDavid did get crossed up and lose Adrien Kempe, and that allowed Kempe time to skate in and make another perfectly placed shot top shelf. Kempe has been the best offensive player in the series, and he leads all playoff scorers with four goals and nine points. He’s been a lethal finisher when given time and space. Mistakes will happen, and McDavid knew right after the goal that Kempe was his guy. But overall, the Oilers made big strides in not just gifting the Kings great chances.

The power play scored twice, and they struck quickly on both opportunities. Leon Draisaitl won the faceoff cleanly on their first opportunity, and Evan Bouchard walked in and blasted home the Oilers’ first PP goal of the series. Bouchard scored again only 10 seconds into the power play late in the third with the game tied 4-4. It was a new wrinkle we’ve never seen before. Draisaitl won the draw at centre ice back to Bouchard. He curled back inside the Oilers’ zone, then weaved through the neutral zone as the Kings just gave him the blueline. He was in the middle of the ice, and once he entered the zone, he made a soft drop pass to Draisaitl. Bouchard continued to the net, and no Kings defender picked him up. Draisaitl placed a perfect pass on Bouchard’s tape, and Bouchard redirected home the game winner. Bouchard mentioned post-game that it was a set play they drew up.

PUT SOME RESPECT ON HIS NAME..EVAN BOUCHARD GIVES EDMONTON A 5-4 LEAD.

: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Fx5UbUR8HJ

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 26, 2025

The power play has been too good for too long not to score, and they showed it on their only two opportunities of the game. Prior to the game, McDavid said this about the PP and how they had to attack.

“We need to just clean up our puck play and our decisions with it,” said McDavid. “They have a kill that you won’t necessarily have a ton of zone time on them, or you’re not going to massage it and pass it around. It is going to be work and the look you do get will be a grade A+, so we have to be ready and bare down on that and bury it.”

The Oilers didn’t connect on some passes with guys open in the first two games. Draisaitl made a perfect pass to Bouchard, and he buried it. It’s as though the captain knew what was coming.

The other area the Oilers improved upon was staying out of the penalty box. They’d taken a league-high 10 minors in the first two games. When the PK is struggling as badly as it is right now, you can’t give the Kings too many chances. The Kings only had two PP chances. Progress.

AREAS TO WORK ON…​

Good news: The Oilers were shorthanded only two times. Bad news: The Kings scored on both of their opportunities with the man advantage.

I actually thought the penalty kill looked better than in the first two games, when the Kings moved the puck around at will. They not only scored five times, but they also had 20 shots and 35 shot attempts. Last night, the Oilers’ PK was much more in sync and aggressive. The penalty killers pressured the Kings and didn’t allow them to get set up. On the first PK, LA only had one shot and a single shot attempt in the first 1:45. Late in the PP, the Kings had a neutral zone re-group, and Fiala came in and took a shot from 37-feet. Janmark tried to get his stick in the lane, but the puck deflected off his stick and ramped up into the top corner. The Kings’ PP hadn’t been very dangerous, but they still scored.

On the second opportunity, the Oilers had more shots than LA. Adam Henrique and Connor Brown each had a shot, while Janmark’s shot was blocked. The Kings’ first unit had no shot attempts, and the second unit came on for the final 35 seconds. They got set up and Drew Doughty just took a wrist shot from the point. The Kings did have a good, layered screen, and I don’t think Calvin Pickard saw it. The PK didn’t give LA much on either kill, but the Kings scored twice. They are now 58.3% (7-for-12) in the series.

The Oilers’ PK showed signs of progress, but the results ended up worse as the Kings went 100% on the PP. There are no moral victories in the playoffs. Wins and goals, regardless of how they happen, are all that matter. And the PK has to find a way to kill off some penalties. They will be happy with the process of how they limited the Kings’ shots and puck possession, but not the result.

Calvin Pickard didn’t have to face an onslaught of high-danger chances, which makes life easier for any goalie. The Trevor Moore goal can’t go in. A one-handed attempt nine seconds after the Oilers tied it could have been a backbreaker, if Evander Kane didn’t tie the game late in the third. Pickard was solid. His best save came late in the game with the Oilers leading 6-4, and he had a few other key stops. The team still allowed four goals. Not ideal, but progress in reducing the goals against, limiting the high-danger chances and getting a key save.

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Apr 6, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) skates with the puck during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.

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HERE AND THERE…​

— I expected Evander Kane to play bottom-six minutes when he returned to the lineup after being out for over 10 months. He has averaged third-line minutes in his two games. He played 13:07 last night, but he was much more effective than in game one. He made a great pass to Connor Brown to tie the game 3-3, and then Kane tied the game at four late in the third. He crashed the net, battled for the puck and after kicking the puck towards Darcy Kuemper’s pads, he was able to get a stick on it and push it across the goal line. Kane finished the night with 1-1-2, four shots on goal and five hits. He made an impact in his minutes and played the eighth-most minutes among the forwards. He, like any player, will want more minutes, and we’ll see if Knoblauch will find him more ice time in Game 4.

— The Oilers were the more physical team for the third consecutive game, but last night they had the puck more as well. Vasily Podkolzin (7), Kane and Zach Hyman (5) and Trent Frederic (3) led the way physically. They had some big hits, none bigger than Hyman’s late in the game on Drew Doughty to separate him from the puck and then dish it to McDavid for the empty net breakaway goal. Kane and Frederic give the Oilers some much-needed size and physicality. Both can chip in offensively as well. Frederic has improved every game this series. He’s getting more comfortable skating with his ankle heavily taped. He doesn’t have the ankle flexion he is used to, because of the tape, and he said he toe-picked a few times in Game 1, getting used to it, but he told me after the morning skate how he was starting to feel a bit better. And actually, he feels better as the game goes on and his body temperature increases. His line with Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry had a few quality shifts, where they spent the entire time in the offensive zone. Those shifts will wear down a team over time, and more importantly, create or continue momentum for the Oilers.

— After how he looked in the regular season, I didn’t think John Klingberg would offer much. I was wrong. He has been excellent since he returned to the lineup in Game 2. His lateral movement, which has always been his best asset to create space for himself, is back. He’s looked poised and confident moving the puck, and said he’s feeling good.

“I’m not thinking about if I can move a certain way, or if I will be able to hold that edge, and that allows me to just play,” said Klingberg. “Having the trust I can make plays and move how I’m used to is a great feeling. I’m just hoping to continue that.”

He did last night. He and Jake Walman had a great game together, logging over 12 minutes. They were on for only two shots against, six for and the shot attempts were 27-11. Paul Coffey and Kris Knoblauch want Klingberg on the ice with either McDavid or Draisaitl. It makes sense as he’s great at moving the puck. Those were the two forwards he played the most with last night.

— The Oilers are better when McDavid and Draisaitl centre their own lines. Last year against the Kings, they only played 8:54 together at 5×5 and the Oilers won in five games. They played 19:03 together at 5×5 in the first two games. The Oilers lost both and when those two were on the ice together, the Oilers outscored LA 3-2. McDavid playinjg away from Draisaitl got outscored 2-0.

Knoblauch wisely put them on their own lines last night. The game had 52:45 of 5×5 time, only a total of 3:40 of PP time, 2:00 of 4×4 and 1:35 of 6-on-5. The more 5×5 time the game has, the more advantage the Oilers have, especially with LA’s power play crushing it.

Draisaitl played 21:00 at 5×5 while McDavid logged 20:09. They still played just over seven minutes together, but that still left 27 minutes with them on the ice separately. The Oilers had one or both of them on the ice 5×5 for over 34 minutes of 5×5 play. With Draisaitl on the ice, without McDavid, the Oilers outshot LA 10-5, while McDavid was 7-7 and outscored LA 1-0. In their time together, they outshot LA 7-0 and outscored them 1-0. So in those 34 minutes, the Oilers outshot the Kings 24-12 and outscored them 2-0. I will argue until my hair grows back that the Oilers are a better team when those two run their own lines. You can still load them up together at times in the game, but when they are on the ice, the Oilers will usually have the best player on the ice, and if you can have that for 34 of 52 minutes, you have a big advantage.

— The Oilers crushed the Kings’ top line last night. Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko played 12:22 together. They were outshot 14-5 and outscored 2-0. They were on for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ goal and Connor Brown’s. Kopitar was on for Kane’s goal as well.

— Scoring first matters a lot between these two teams in the playoffs. The Oilers are 12-1 when they score first, and LA is 7-1. The only losses came in 2023. The Oilers had a great start, but then dipped in the second period, before rebounding. But getting a lead is clearly the main key to winning between these two clubs.

— Example 1,024 why the playoffs are so wildly unpredictable. Darcy Kuemper allowed five-plus goals only twice in 50 regular-season starts. The Oilers have scored five goals on him twice in three playoff games. They’ve clearly made it a priority to get traffic in front. They dislodged the net multiple times, Corey Perry set a screen on Bouchard’s first goal, and Kane crashed the net for his game-tying goal. They are crashing the net more than usual, and it is working. It is hard enough stopping the puck when the goalie can see it, but then you add in screens and traffic, and it becomes much harder. It is refreshing to see the Oilers getting bodies to the net because it wasn’t a regular occurrence in the regular season.

— I’m curious which replay the Kings watched to make them challenge Kane’s goal for goalie interference. The replays I saw showed nothing that was obvious. Head coach Jim Hiller explained why he challenged it.

“Well, we got a good look at it, took plenty of time, and we felt it was goalie interference, so we challenged it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose on those. Tonight, we lost, and it cost us big time, there’s no way around it,” said Hiller.

Depending on how the series plays out, we might look back at that challenge as the turning point. The Oilers scored 10 seconds into the PP to take a 5-4 lead and that has them back in the series.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-big-game-3-win-over-kings

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

GDB +4.0: Oilers look to tie the series in Game 4 vs. the Kings (7:30pm MT, CBC)

After a rollercoaster win in Game 3, the Edmonton Oilers will look for a repeat performance against the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Rogers Place in a pivotal Game 4. Win, and we’ll have a tie series. Lose, and the Oilers will be on the brink of elimination heading back to a barn that has been anything but kind. Needless to say, we’ve got a big game on deck here, friends.

This series has been a rollercoaster, my friends, and it’s wild that we’re only heading into Game 4. We’ve had 30 goals through the first three games, and while I think we all expected a few games to be high scoring, I certainly didn’t see every game hitting the over quite handily. It’s like every shift has the potential to create offence for either team, creating situations where we never know what we’ll get. You’re on the edge of your seat for 60 minutes and primed to fist pump through the roof when things go our way or have your head fall into your hands when the plan goes sideways.

Not knowing what to expect from minute to minute makes me excited and nervous about what’s to come in a few hours. While there are plenty of things I’d love to see the Oilers carry over from Game 3, there are still plenty of sloppy issues in their game that keep throwing hurdles in their way. If Edmonton is going to knot up the series at two apiece, they need to do a better job of taking care of the puck and find ways to keep the game at 5v5. The Kings’ power play has been a nightmare for the Oilers’ PK through the first three games, and it will be nearly impossible to win this series if our boys keep allowing them to roll at almost 60%.

While the Oilers did a much better job defensively on Friday night than in the first two games, I think we can all agree that there’s still plenty of room to improve. There were still too many instances of the Kings finding their way into dangerous areas of the ice, which led to dangerous looks on net, and the Oilers’ skaters needed to do a better job of protecting the middle of the ice. They can’t keep letting guys like Adrian Kempe walk in with a clear lane to the goalie and rip pucks as he pleases. It’s been a problem through three games, and one our side needs to clean up in a hurry.

The good news is that the boys seem to be progressing game by game. While not perfect by any means, we didn’t get the number of yard sale breakdowns in Game 3 that we saw littered throughout the first two nights at Crypto.com Arena. Suppose we can keep this upward trajectory going combined with the Oilers seemingly starting to figure Darcy Kuemper out. In that case, that’s a pretty dangerous combination for Kings group that only seems interested in running nine forwards and five D. They’re going to run out of gas eventually. The longer this series goes on, the more that favours the Oilers.

But that stuff only matters if the Oilers can keep winning. As much as it was a blast to be at Rogers Place on Friday night for a first-hand look at the chaos that ensued, picking up that win was only the first step to coming back to win this series. There are still plenty of miles to go before the end of this thing, and if the Oilers are going to defend home ice again, they’ll need another 60 minutes of putting the pedal to floor. Only this time, it would be super beneficial if they can find a way to stay disciplined in the process. The Kings are feasting on special teams right now, and one of the biggest keys to a 2-2 tied series will be if Edmonton can find a way to stay out of the box.

Let’s see what the numbers say…

THE NUMBERS​

OILERS	KINGS
RECORD	1-2	2-1
WIN/LOSS STREAK	W1	L1
GOALS FOR	14	16
GOALS AGAINST	16	14
POWER PLAY%	28.6	58.3
PENALTY KILL%	41.7	71.4
AVG. SHOTS/FOR	29.0	29.7
AVG. SHOTS/AGAINST	29.7	29.0
TEAM SAVE%	.867	.882
CORSI FOR%	56.06	43.94
PDO	0.984	1.016
TEAM SHOOTING%	11.76	13.33
EXPECTED GOALS FOR%	53.45	46.55

Numbers courtesy of Natural Stat Trick (Sv%, CF%, PDO, Shooting%, xGF% all at 5×5)

• Connor McDavid leads all Oilers in career playoff scoring against the Kings with 43 points (10G, 33A) in 21 games. McDavid had 12 points (1G, 11A) in 2024, 10 points (3G, 7A) in 2023 and 14 points (4G, 10A) in 2022.
• The Oilers and Kings are meeting in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, making them the fifth pair of teams to meet one another in the first round of the playoffs that many years in a row. It’s the first time this happened since the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins did it from 1984 to 1987 (Habs won all four) and just the second set of teams to do it since the NHL expanded from its Original Six franchises. The other teams to do it are the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs (1963-66 – MTL won two, TOR won two), Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings (1963-66 – DET won three, CHI won one) and Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks (1959-62 – MTL won two, CHI won two).

LINE COMBINATIONS​

Oilers​

Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Kane – Henrique – Brown
Frederic – Janmark – Perry

Nurse – Bouchard
Walman – Klingberg
Kulak – Emberson

Pickard

The biggest favour the Oilers can do for themselves tonight would be to stay out of the penalty box and keep the game at even strength. Edmonton’s lack of PK success is like an anchor around their necks right now, and if we can’t rely on improvement, then the only other option is to keep it clean.

Kings​

Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele –Danault – Moore
Malott – Helenius – Turcotte

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Spence
Edmundson – Clarke

Kuemper

I’d bet all of Gregor’s money on the Kings coming out flying in Game 4 to try and restore their advantage. They know they’re in trouble if the Oilers to tie this series up, and that tells me that our boys had better be ready to go right from the opening draw. The other thing I’d bet Gregor’s money on is that L.A. will try and goad the Oilers into taking penalties, meaning the boys will have to be on their best behaviour to avoid falling into that trap.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…​

From L.A. Kings Insider:

In the roughly 44 hours from the end of Game 3 to the start of Game 4 the Kings will have to prove they can address those issues that contributed to the loss and hope to rebound with a win that would give them a chance to close out the Oilers Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena and earn their first series victory since 2014.

Hiller acknowledged there are a couple of areas he’d like to see the Kings get better at in Game 4 although he declined to identify them specifically.

“It’s something we think we can, it’s not big stuff it’s small stuff, but we think we can do better with a little bit more attention to detail,” Hiller said.

It’s been a series of great swings in momentum and unexpected twists and turns. And, oh yeah, lots of goals. Thirty goals in total through three games. That’s a lot. As a player or a coach, you don’t get to choose the type of game sometimes the game chooses you.

“Honestly, I didn’t have that on my bingo card, 6-5, 6-2 and 7-4,” Kopitar quipped. “Probably would have taken the under on all of those. It is what it is. At the end of the day, you’re trying to be first to four wins and it doesn’t matter how it happens. Would we prefer not giving up seven goals? Of course. It happens sometimes and we’ve got to move on.”

TONIGHT…​

Photoshop courtesy of Tom Kostiuk from Handmade by Tom

Game Day Prediction: Nothing better than a 4-2 Oilers win on a Sunday to tie the series and cap off your weekend.

Obvious Game Day Prediction: The special teams will play a major factor again. For which team? Only time will tell.

Not-So-Obvious Game Day Prediction: Vasily Podkolzin picks up his first goal of the series by parking himself in front of the net and fighting his way into a greasy one.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/game-preview-4-edmonton-oilers-series-los-angeles-kings-730pm-mt-cbc

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

‘Next question please’: Kings head coach Jim Hiller snaps at reporter when asked about blowing leads to Oilers

It’s been a tough couple of days for Jim Hiller and his Los Angeles Kings.

First, they cough up 3-2 and 4-3 leads to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 on Friday night, making a brutal challenge on Evander Kane’s goal that tied that game at 4 a piece, only to allow the Oilers to runaway with it in the third period in a 7-4 loss.

Then, two nights later, it’s more blown leads, squandering 2-0 and 3-1 leads to fall to the Oilers in Game 4 — one in which Edmonton took their game to another level in the third and overtime periods, where the Kings seemingly had no answer.

And after Sunday’s loss, a defensive Hiller took exception to a reporter’s question about what caused those losses.

Reporter: How do you change your approach in the third period to better close out games?

Hiller: How do I change it? *scoffs* Next question, please. We’re that far away at the empty net. Q chips that out, Bouchard makes a good play, we’re not even talking about this, so… How about that?

Reporter: Sentiment in the room was that the first 40 minutes… —

Hiller: That’s your favourite question too, by the way. Maybe you got some ideas for me.

Kings HC Jim Hiller was a little frosty when asked about what 3rd period adjustments could help better close out games. pic.twitter.com/GxeRywiTPK

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 28, 2025

Hiller was certainly on the defensive, and even took another barb at the reporter after their next question, saying “We can go back and forth.”

The line of questioning was more than fair given what’s transpired in recent games, and the way the Kings sit back is something the Oilers know they can exploit.

“They like to absorb pressure — that can be taxing at times and I thought you saw that tonight,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid after the Game 4 win.

That’s something that will continue to play to their strength and something the Kings know they’ll need to counter. Hiller has essentially ran nine forwards and four defencemen through most of the series with blue liners Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty up to 110 minutes through four games — nearly 30 minutes per night — while L.A.’s top nine forwards have seen a plethora of minutes, too.

There’s discontent within those who follow the Kings over the way Hiller’s handled Games 3 and 4, and while the series does shift back to Los Angeles for Game 5 Tuesday night, he’ll need to find a way to ensure his club can stay on top of what the Oilers bring.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/next-...-snaps-reporter-blowing-leads-edmonton-oilers